The issue for me isn't whether there was another way, but how this way was portrayed: with Ender as undeniable hero, despite (1) deliberately annihilating a sentient race when compromise was possible or (2) being duped by his legal and moral superiors into doing it for them. Neither act is heroic.

If you've read the books, you would understand that Ender never saw himself as a hero. He was exiled to another planet and hid himself under another name for 3000 years. That's hardly recognition of an undeniable hero